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Glasgow Commonwealth Games: Wales 3×3 basketball duo targeting the friendly games

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Roy and Bunyan have been sharing special moments on court since they were 15 years old.

However, their paths to basketball were quite different.

Roy, daughter of a Wales rugby international, is a convert from netball. Bunyan followed in family footsteps, playing since childhood at Pontypridd Panthers, the club her father – former Just Rentals Rhondda and Wales centre Jon Bunyan – set up 15 years ago.

“Izzy was only about five or six when I started the club and she was probably a little bit too young to join because we started it for under 10s,” said Bunyan.

“Her older brother was in the club at the time and she just kept pestering me, ‘can I come play, can I come play?’

“As a dad you say, ‘yes, of course you can’. So, she came and started when she was about six and just got involved in it from there.”

Standing 6ft 3in (1.9m) Roy also inherited useful sporting genes – her 6ft 6in (1.98m) father Stuart won a cap for Wales at the 1995 Rugby World Cup during a career as a lock forward with Cardiff, Pontypridd and Newport.

“Basketball began when I joined the Cowbridge secondary school team and from there I played for my local club, Vale Vipers,” said Roy.

“Netball was my major focus with Celtic Dragons U17s until I came to the Panthers where I met Issy.

“They really showed me what I could do with basketball and being able to play with Issy as well was huge because she was already a very good player and the quality of the coaching as well.”

The duo then moved to Cardiff Met Archers, initially to play in age group teams, before graduating to senior level in the Women’s British Basketball League (WBBL).

“I continued playing netball alongside basketball for a bit and they worked quite well together,” added Roy.

“But I think I enjoyed basketball more. Covid also played a part because the netball stopped whereas my basketball didn’t.

“I don’t regret it at all. It’s such an exciting sport that can take you so many places and so many opportunities come from it.”


BBC News

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